Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-15
OUERErARO.
Interesting Letter From
Miss Yda H. Adds.
HISTORICAL OCCURRENCES
Scenes in and AbOnt q Renowned
City. The Tragic Imperial
Drama.


the tragic Imperial drama of the
French Intervention in Mexico. 1t i.
not a place designed by nature for a
battle-ground; nor does the tranquil,
smiling landscape wear the scars Oh
the dreadful experience through
which the city has passed. One
leaves the station OF the Mexican
Central, and rumblse up town in the
ubiquitous tramcar--in this particular
instance, ny the way, the fare Is IL
cents, which is an outrage, Ga cents
being the rule all over Mexico, save
at Guanaxuato. where the distance is
measured into stations, with charges
accordingly. There is a sort OF sta
media, whose praises are chanted
lou lly nv the misguided authors oil
certain gii le-b books. and from it one
passes into the streets, which are
ma row, macdtr,nized, and certainly
empty and sleepy enough for thu
thOronghiares Of some little mountain
village, rather than a capital city OF
35, OOJ sou s. on the line of the chief
railway in Mexico. The markets are
dull-indeed. it might almost he sail
III the whole streets ara markets
from the numerous huckster stalls
spread out along the side walks. The
fruit supply is excellent and the prices
very reasonable. Oranges. greadditas
q peculiar oval fruit the size Of a
gH,ee-egy, the succulent aguacate, or
alligator pear, peaches, pears, figs
and ounces, the delicious chirimopa
or cu-tari-apple, both of which make
superlative jelly, pecans and English
walnuts-such are Il few of the gas.
tronomic attractions of Queretaro.
Almost all of them may be had in
crystalized form, for this il a & eat
city for duIces. The confections OF
Qu-retarO are widely known through
ont the Republic, and they command
relatively high prices. though they
are cheap enough, in all con- cience
Exquisite IL flavor and unadulterated,
regard this article as superior to the
finest of French candies, and one day
some ether genius will discuvert the fact
and will make lot of m ,ncy by its
export. 1 must not forget to Fay at
the Mexicans are particularly fon Of
the Qnei etaro conserve, made OF su Get
potatu-the which is Used in it's ell
tirety, barring tie jacket. The
paLacio, or State building. is q coui-
mOdiUus though unpretenti us struc-
ture. in " h eh it does indeed "seen
always afternoon" il one may VEN
ture on that threadbare quotation to
express the conventual stiffness
Within the editice. The only thing in
pdlactO worth eeeing-and that OILY
sen. ationally is the casket in which
the body Of Maxin,ilain lay for some
days after the execution, and which
is still stained with his blood. Imay
as we'll admit that did not see it.
My ciceron, a Spanish gentleman OF
high position and fine attachments,
had made the needful arrangements
with Governor Cusio, but when we ar
rived the Governor had been sum.
mOned to an unexpected council, and
the officials about the place, after
some skirmishing, were Obliged t'
state that the porter had carried
away the keys of the chamber where
the casket lay. Senior de O. was
simply furious, "Cosas de MeGico, in
deed!" he ragged, when | tried to
soothe him; nowhere oil Q in the
world could such things happen! /
Say nothing of the failure to comply
with the Governors order--nOwhere
but in Mexico woull the doorporter he
entrusted with the keys that alone
protect a relic of historic interest.
What guar ,ntee have they that the
rogue will not sell it to the first per-
son who offers him fifty dollars for
leave to steal it?" l might have
cr,,n.isel more freely had | not sus-
pected that my own vandalism wa, to
blame in thus way. The porter'-
daughter was hou semaid to the famil.
/ was visiting, and think she heard
my remark to sweet Pepita Valencia,
that purpOsed to try how far bit o
sill, er suasion would 20 towards OBJ
tanning u stable splinter from the
casket. This being repeated to Master
Porter, he no doubt reasoned that
would not be so audacious as to at
tempt bri hery in the presence of Off
Gals and bigwigs, and SO removed
himself that l might later seek
a more fitting opportunity. However,
that was my last day in Queretaro,
30 his shire wdnesS was at fIIlt. To
go backward in the career Of MAXI
milan: On June 10, 1867, he was
shot, in accordance with the sentence
of court-martidl, on a crest or emf
hence known az FL Ce'ro de las Com
panas, about league west OF the city
As everybody knows, the press has
lately been much occupied with the
question as to whether General
Miguel Lopez did or did not belray
the unto tuna Q Yong Emper r. In
Qneretaro the opinion prevails thai
Lopez is that basest If traitors, a man
who adds insult to injury by seeking
to blacken the character vi his victim.
Macmillan ha the tift OF endearing
h mseli t. those about him, and solifi
business men of Queretaro have tears
in their eyes when they speak of his
winning nature and tell how, to the
very last, he was in deed and in word
a brave, loyal, honorable gentleman,
incapable OF double-dealiug. At the
Cerro, where, by the way, we're the
Notifications of the Imperial army,
three simple granite columns, sur
rounded by a low stone VII, mark
the spot of the execution OF Maxiniil'
ian, Miramon and Mejia. An iron
railing formerly topped the wall, but
it has been stolen, as well as the in
scription tablets. gathered reverent-
ly enough handful Of little stones
here and tuft of brier grass that may
have been nourished by the blood OF
the young Arc,duke. The ex-convent
OF Capuchinas, part of which is now
used AS a barrack, was his prison.
The particular cell he occupied is in-
cluded in the confines OF a private
dwelling, vailed off from the main
bu ldlng subsequent to those occur